Another SXSW Interactive has come and gone, which means it is time for my annual "What You Missed" column. Not quite a tradeshow and something more than a tech conference, the show is markedand perhaps cursedby a reputation for hipness of tragic proportions.

And that reputation is deservedthere is more flannel at this show than in the L.L. Bean catalog, and you can't use a lavatory without checking into Foursquare. Even so, if you want to find out what platforms are on the rise (Android), what app everyone will be downloading next month (Beluga), and get an idea of what Web revolution will come next (the Game layer), there is no better place to be. If you didn't make it this year, this is what you missed.

SXSW started the same day the iPad 2 went on sale and although Apple didn't have an "official presence" at the show, they certainly got their money's worth out of the pop-up store they opened to serve attendees. Just a few blocks from the convention center, the Apple store had people lined up hours before the doors opened and I saw dozens of iPad 2's in the following days. It was the must-have gadget of the show.

Internet Explorer 9 Goes Public

Although it has been in beta for nearly a year, Microsoft finally released Internet Explorer 9 to the public on Monday night. Microsoft has been desperately trying to rebrand Internet Explorer as a fast, elegant browser that savvy web users will use because they want to, not just because they have to. Timing the release for SXSW was a brilliant move; there is no more concentrated collection of technology taste-makers than this. It will be interesting to see how IE9 does now that is fully baked. Of course, PCMag has a hands-on review of Internet Explorer 9, which puts it through its paces.

Barry Diller Tried to Reopen the Net Neutrality Debate

IAC chairman Barry Diller did his level best to reopen the net neutrality debate, all but scolding the crowd of content creators and web professionals for their complacency on the issue. The rules recently put out by the FCC don't go far enough, and leave the big communication companies in a position to restrict the flow of content. Diller told the packed hall simply, "We need an unambiguous rule that nobody will step between the publisher and the consumer: Full stop."

The problem is, there seems to be no appetite in Washington, on either side of the issue, to reopen the debate. These new FCC rules may be flawed, but for now I think we are stuck with them.

Game Layer Utopianism

Just about everyone at SXSW wants to know what the next big thing is, either so they can play with it or make money on it. Seth Priebatsch, the 22-year-old CEO of SVCGER, made his pitch for an idea called "The Game Layer," which he says will be used for both making money and having fun. Essentially, the game layer is the application of game mechanics to almost every aspect of our lives, from reforming our school to battling global warming. It is an ambitious idea, but it isn't just theory. All you have to do is look at the stunning success of GroupOn, a company that has turned shopping into a game, to see the game layer's potential as a game changer. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Google Is Wiping the GPS Industry Off the Map

Google's vice present of consumer services gave a keynote talk that was pretty much a demo for Google Maps for Mobile. Although it would have been nice to see a more strategic, forward thinking presentation, she did make one thing clear: Google is all over the location services. Google Maps for mobile alone is enough to devastate the industry for dedicated, in vehicle GPS devices. Look for a lot more in-car docks for smartphones in the next year. Fully 40% of all Maps users are mobile.

But it isn't just the hardware that is at risk. Google's Hotpot is on track to go to head to head with services like Yelp. Today, more than six million Hotpot places have been claimed by their owners, so they can include information such as hours, phone numbers, and so on. Fully 20% of Google searches are for local information and Hotpot results are returned every time. If I were working for Yelp or Foursquare, that would keep me up nights.

Anonymity Will Always a Place on 4Chan

It should come as no surprise that 4Chan's Christopher Poole (aka "moot") is a big fan of anonymity. The bare bones online forum allows you to share words, pictures, and more than a little malware all without having a persistent identity. And Poole is fine with that.

"Mark Zuckerberg has equated anonymity with a kind of cowardice that is wrong, " Poole said. "Anonymity is authenticity. It allows you to share in a completely unvarnished, unfiltered way. In terms of content creation, it allows you to play in way you couldn't otherwise." Of course, this also leads to trolls, social bullying, and a haven for coordinated, Web-based malfeasance. Even so, I think it is safe to say the Web is a more interesting place with 4Chan in it. Poole also announced a new image mash up service called Canvas.

I could keep going, of course, and in the coming weeks I will. But I should add not everything at SXSW is ideal. There are lines for everything, the panel schedule makes time management a mess, and the environment encourages a kind of digital narcissism that, outside the curious bubble of Austin, must be incredibly irritating. Even so, it is a pretty great show.

Now if you will excuse me, I am going to log off, drop my Lenovo T400 at the hotel, and go see some bands.

Dan Costa is the Editor-in-Chief of PCMag.com and the Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff-Davis. He oversees the editorial operations for PCMag.com, Geek.com, ExtremeTech.com as well as PCMag's network of blogs, including AppScout and SecurityWatch. Dan makes frequent appearances on local, national, and international news programs, including CNN, MSNBC, FOX, ABC, and NBC where he shares his perspective on a variety of technology trends.
Dan began working at PC Magazine in 2005 as a senior editor, covering consumer electronics, blogging on Gearlog.com, and serving as...
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